Spring is on the plate: introducing our fresh seasonal menu
Dear Choklits families,
Spring has arrived at Choklits, bringing brighter days, fresh garden growth, and a new seasonal menu for 2026. This season’s meals are designed to be colourful, nourishing, and full of variety, helping fuel busy little bodies as children learn, play, explore, and grow.
Our menu is approved by Nutrition Australia’s Healthy Eating Achievement Programme and aligns with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). This means every meal is planned to support children’s health, learning, wellbeing, and developing relationships with food.
Fresh spring dishes
Across our four-week rotating menu, children will enjoy a balanced mix of wholegrains, lean proteins, legumes, dairy and dairy alternatives, fruit, and plenty of vegetables. Spring brings wonderful opportunities to add colour, freshness, and variety to the plate, while continuing to offer familiar favourites that children know and love.
This season’s menu includes bright pasta and rice dishes, nourishing meat and vegetable meals, seafood options, and plant-based recipes. Children will be encouraged to explore different flavours, textures, and ingredients through meals such as:
- Colourful pasta and rice dishes, combining wholegrains with seasonal vegetables, herbs, legumes, and lean proteins.
- Family favourites with a spring twist, offering comforting and familiar flavours alongside new combinations for children to discover.
- Seafood choices, prepared in child-friendly dishes to introduce nutritious fish and fresh seasonal accompaniments.
- Plant-based options, featuring legumes, vegetables, tofu, and other nourishing ingredients that support variety across the menu.
Morning and afternoon tea will continue to include seasonal fresh fruit, yoghurt, homemade breads and slices, vegetable dips, crackers, and other wholesome snacks. Gluten-free and dairy-free alternatives are available where needed, and Choklits continues to operate as a nut-free centre.
A menu that supports learning and wellbeing
At Choklits, mealtimes are an important part of the day, not simply a break between learning experiences. They are opportunities for children to develop independence, practise self-help skills, communicate with friends, and build confidence as they make choices and try new foods.
Our spring menu supports children to:
- Build healthy habits through regular exposure to a wide range of flavours, colours, and textures.
- Develop independence and social skills through shared, relaxed mealtimes.
- Connect with culture and community by discovering ingredients and dishes from different cuisines.
Every day offers balance: carbohydrates for energy, protein for growth, dairy or alternatives for bones and teeth, and fruit and vegetables for fibre, vitamins, and minerals.
From garden to kitchen: our Plant to Plate programme returns
This spring, Chefs Jordan, Lai, and Tayani will once again lead our Plant to Plate programme, giving children hands-on gardening and cooking experiences throughout the season.
For our younger children, the focus is on building early skills. They may practise holding child-friendly utensils, washing herbs and leaves, tearing soft greens, safely mixing ingredients, and exploring the smells, colours, and textures of fresh produce.
For our older children, the experience follows the full seasonal cycle. They will help plant seeds, care for the garden, notice when produce is ready, pick and wash what they have grown, chop with appropriate safety tools, cook, and taste the results.
Children are often more willing to try new foods when they have grown or helped prepare them. Plant to Plate helps reduce some of the barriers families can face at home, turning “I don’t like that” into “I made that”. The programme supports EYLF outcomes around wellbeing, confidence, connection, and learning through real-world experiences in a calm and joyful setting.
A season of freshness
Thank you for trusting us to nourish your children each day. Our Spring Menu 2026 brings fresh flavours, balanced nutrition, and rich learning, on the plate, in the kitchen, and in the garden.
We look forward to a season filled with curiosity, colourful meals, new discoveries, and joyful mealtimes.
If you have any questions on our new menu please head to our Facebook and Instagram pages or pop in and see us when you’re next at the service.
Here’s to our Winter Menu,
